SL fit to host Commonwealth Games

18 May 2011 07:24 am

By Olindhi Jayasundere

Sri Lanka’s Olympic Committee 2018 which hopes to host the Commonwealth Games in Hambantota in 2018 today quashed speculation on Sri Lanka’s illegibility to host the games stating that Sri Lanka fulfilled all requirements necessary.

The committee’s CEO, Nalin Attygalle said Sri Lanka should be given the opportunity to host the games. He said Hambantota was well qualified to host the games and that the heavy financial investment involved will be primarily covered by foreign investors and over 50 private sector firms who are already involved in the organizing process.

Sri Lanka’s Hambantota made its bid to host the games with Australia’s Gold Coast last week. Members of the Commonwealth Games Federation are expected to visit Hambantota next month for evaluations and interviews with the Sri Lankan Olympic Committee to assess the country’s competence to host the games. The final decision on which country will host the event will be decided by the federation in November this year. 

He said that the country’s Rs. 4 billion annual defense expenditure during the war could be diverted to development projects to enhance the country’s image. “Hambantota qualifies more than any other region in the country as it has a sea port, air port, and good road infrastructure,” he said.

He also said no other region in the country would qualify to host the event as there is no stadium big enough for the purpose. He said hundreds of families would have to be evacuated if the event was to be held in Colombo where he said the population was too large. (Daily Mirror online)